We'll start with what's important to you.

There might be something specific you'd like to work on, or it might take a little time to figure out where you'd like to focus. We can talk about what's going on, what matters to you, and what you'd like counselling to help with.

From there, we'll decide together what makes sense to explore. That focus can change as we go.

We don't believe you should have to fit yourself into a particular type of therapy.

Our counsellors draw from a range of approaches, including CBT, DBT, Narrative Therapy, Drama Therapy, and strengths-based counselling. Each offers different ways of looking at things and tools we can use.

We'll talk together about what seems like a good fit for what we're working on. Sometimes that might mean using one approach more than another. Sometimes we'll draw from several at once.

And if something isn't working, we can try something different.

We won't tell you how you should live your life.

We can offer ideas, information, perspective, and practical strategies. We can help you think through options and sometimes suggest something that might be worth trying.

But you get to decide what feels right for you.

Please tell us.

You don't have to keep doing something just because we suggested it. If a strategy doesn't feel useful, an approach isn't clicking, or something about the way we're working together isn't feeling right, we can talk about it.

Sometimes we'll adjust what we're doing. Sometimes we'll try something completely different.

Figuring out what works is part of the work.

It can be both.

Sometimes talking things through is exactly what's needed. Sometimes it helps to have something practical to work on between sessions.

Depending on what we're working on, we might learn a new skill, practise something together, work through a difficult conversation, look at a situation from a different angle, or try something out between sessions.

There isn't a set formula for what a counselling session should look like.

No.

A clear goal can be helpful, but you don't need to know exactly what you want to accomplish before you start.

We can take some time to figure that out together. Your goals might also change as counselling goes on, and that's okay too.

No.

Counselling should give you room to decide what you're ready to explore.

There may be things you aren't ready to talk about yet. There may be things you don't know how to talk about. There may also be things you want to work on directly.

We'll respect your pace while also helping you notice when something might be worth exploring.

Please tell us.

Maybe you didn't feel understood. Maybe the approach didn't fit. Maybe you felt like you were being talked at rather than talked with. Or maybe the experience simply wasn't what you were looking for.

It's okay to tell us what worked and what didn't work for you before.

That information can help us understand what you're looking for from counselling and how we can work together.

Being strengths-based doesn't mean pretending everything is okay.

It means we pay attention to more than what's difficult.

We want to explore the skills you've developed, the relationships that matter to you, the ways you've adapted, the values that guide you, and the things you've already learned about yourself.

Your struggles are part of your story, but they aren't the whole story.

Counselling can be a place to understand what's difficult while also building on the strengths you already have.

We'll talk about it.

Sometimes you'll notice a difference right away. Sometimes it takes longer, or the changes are less obvious.

We'll check in about what's feeling useful, what's not, and whether there's anything we'd like to do differently. You can tell us if you don't think something is helping.

Counselling isn't something you have to simply go along with. It's something we'll keep figuring out together.

Finding the right counsellor matters.

You should feel comfortable asking questions, expressing what you need, and telling us if something isn't working.

You might connect with one counsellor more easily than another. A particular approach might feel like a better fit. Or you might realize that what you're looking for is something we don't offer.

That's okay.

We'll be honest about what we can offer, and we're happy to talk with you about whether it feels like a good fit.

Our goal isn't to convince you that we're the right counsellor. It's to help you find the support that makes sense for you.